Chapter 715
“It’s completely fallen.”

Naum, having slipped inside the imperial palace, forced himself to ignore the aching weight crushing his chest and melted into the shadows. Cries and screams echoed relentlessly from all directions—the desperate remnants of those loyal to the emperor, struggling until the very end.

“Please spare me! Aaaah!”

“Silence!”

“Don’t beg for your life! His Majesty the Emperor can hear you!”

“This fool still hasn’t come to his senses.”

“Kill them. It’s better to deal with troublemakers early on. Bring all the bodies over there.”

“Aren’t you afraid of divine judgment? How could you commit such acts inside the imperial palace?”

“Even with the gods watching, here we stand. At this point, who’s to say who’s truly chosen by the divine?”

Shhhhhh!

Naum froze in the darkness. If he stepped forward now, he could save them—but if the mages siding with Crony arrived, everything would be lost. He could save them, but he chose not to.

If death feels unjust, don’t blame His Majesty the Emperor—blame me.

A selfish mage who passed by, watching your deaths without lifting a finger. Swallowing his tears, Naum prayed silently and moved, cloaked by the darkness.

Soon, the underground prison where the emperor was held came into view.

Bang! Crash!

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted nearby.

Naum recognized it as a battle between mages and hesitated. Could there really be someone standing up for the emperor in this chaos? Most of the Magic Department would be waiting on the sidelines, riding the tide. Who could it be?

“Say that again—!”

“Ugh!”

“If you’re still alive—!”

Boom! Bang!

It was a one-sided fight. The outcome was clear. Not only was the magical power overwhelming, but the three facing off moved with perfect harmony, as if they were one.

Who were they? Just as Naum squinted to see, the moonlight broke through the clouds, illuminating their faces with a glow of magic.

Ah.

The same three he had seen at the annex.

Suddenly, Naum recalled the divine voice that had accompanied him—the one that said if the emperor reached the Magic Department annex, there might be a chance. Not just for the emperor, but for himself as well.

Backing away, Naum took in the sight of the three and dashed toward the underground prison. He didn’t know why they were opposing Crony, but it was a relief.

Thank you for buying me time.

He had expected traitorous mages to be guarding the prison. The emperor was almost divine in strength. Even if suppressed by the magic-sealing stones, the rebels surely wouldn’t be at ease.

But thanks to the mages at the annex drawing attention, approaching the prison became easier.

Fools.

The emperor was strong. Setting aside Naum’s personal closeness, the emperor truly was like a divine blessing bestowed upon Bariel.

Had there ever been an emperor in Bariel’s history who wielded magic? This was a gift from the gods for Bariel’s future. Yet, how could these fools fail to recognize it and instead seek to destroy it?

It wasn’t just Crony. Everyone seemed blind and deaf, as if possessed by madness.

Tap tap tap.

On his way to the prison entrance, Naum stopped. He heard hurried footsteps nearby and listened carefully.

“Duke Hilron, what brings you here?”

“Sir Crony, are you sure the mages have been persuaded? There’s a problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to ask you. Some lowlifes suddenly appeared, causing a ruckus demanding the emperor be handed over. Oh! There’s Luigi coming. Hey! What’s the situation?”

It was Crony and Duke Hilron meeting. Luigi was approaching, so Naum concealed his presence even more carefully, his breath thinning to a whisper.

“We sent the mages. If persuasion fails, we’ll have to deal with them. It’d be troublesome if things got messy.”

Luigi—the vile man blinded by ambition when offered the next Minister of Magic position.

Naum trembled with anger but forced his eyes shut. This wasn’t the time. He quietly slipped down into the underground prison.

“Deal with them… hmm?”

Crony muttered, staring intently at the prison door. Though nothing was visible, he sensed something.

“Sir Crony?”

“Yes, yes. Understood. It’s a shame, but what can we do? Those who can’t tell right from wrong, whether mage or beast, must be dealt with.”

“And the emperor?”

“He’s unharmed. The resistance was fiercer than expected, though.”

Crony chuckled as he removed his gloves, stiff from being soaked in the emperor’s sacred blood.

Ian, you foolish, tragic child.

Hadn’t he warned him? That the position was too much for him? If only he had listened, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened. Stubbornness led to this. How could he not understand the one who raised him like a parent? Shaking his head, Crony stuffed the stiff gloves into his pocket.

“Sir Crony.”

“Yes? Speak.”

“Don’t forget the execution.”

Duke Hilron’s warning came with sudden fury—don’t kill the emperor outright.

Even among conspirators, opinions were divided. The hardliners wanted to kill him immediately to avoid future problems, given his immense magical power. The idealists insisted on a public execution for the sake of legitimacy.

Crony leaned toward the hardliners but knew he’d need the nobles’ cooperation for now, so he had to find a middle ground.

“Of course.”

Crony smiled slyly. Duke Hilron hesitated, unable to say more. Outwardly, he agreed, but trust was another matter.

Crony gestured to Luigi to follow.

“Let’s go down. I want to see if the emperor has awakened.”

“See? What else is there to see?” Luigi wondered but didn’t ask as Crony led the way down the stairs. He gave Duke Hilron a nod and entered the depths.

Swish.

Meanwhile, the emperor lay collapsed, his skin torn in places. His once-silky long hair was matted with blood, and his usually dignified attire was ruined.

The soldiers guarding the prison stole glances at him. It was rare to see the emperor’s face, let alone like this—surprising, strange, and somewhat pitiful.

“Is he dead?”

“I don’t know. He’s still breathing.”

Gasp!

The emperor coughed up blood and turned his head slightly. A narrow window was visible. Tears welled in his eyes, streaming down his nose as he closed them again.

Then—

Ian ascended to the throne as a boy.

And before reaching adulthood, his neck was cut.

A voice brushed past from somewhere.

He wanted to respond but couldn’t. Magic was a power dwelling within a mage’s body. Suppressed by the magic-sealing stones, his energy naturally waned.

This can’t be happening.

The emperor muttered, furrowing his brow.

Where had it all gone wrong? When he resolved to become emperor? When rumors about Crony spread through the palace? Or when he first saw Naum on the street—the moment he realized his identity as a mage?

No. It was even earlier than that.

Before meeting Crony, that is…

Being born was a sin. Existing is a sin.

He tried to deny the phrase ringing in his mind, but the more he resisted, the clearer it became. Who was whispering to him?

“Ian, please, please come to your senses.”

When the emperor opened his eyes, the soldiers had vanished. Naum knelt before him, unlocking his shackles.

Ah, this sense of déjà vu…

“…Naum.”

“Now’s not the time. Hurry—”

“Naum, something’s wrong. I feel like I’ve seen this before.”

“Do you have the luxury to joke? I’m glad you’re awake.”

Naum wiped tears with the back of his hand. His fingertips were cracked and bleeding from unlocking the shackles barehanded.

“Stop. It’s okay.”

“Ian?”

“I feel like I can stop now.”

“What are you saying?”

Ian gently clasped Naum’s hand, tears streaming down his face. Even he didn’t understand what he was saying.

But one thing was clear: he had fallen, and those around him would be hurt. And Naum, you too would suffer without fail.

“Ian, come to your senses. Can you hear me?”

“…Ian?”

“Yes. Ian.”

The moment the emperor heard that name, he hesitated. His heart, which had been waiting for death, began to beat again—strong and insistent, as if declaring he was still alive.

He truly didn’t understand.

What was it about the name Ian?

“I think I’ve forgotten something.”

“Huh?”

“My name. I forgot it, but now I remember.”

“Ian Verosion. That’s your name. How could you forget? It pains me.”

“No, it’s not that—”

Naum shook his head, wiping away tears. There was no time left. Crony and Luigi would soon burst in.

“There’s the Magic Department annex. You know it, right?”

Thump thump. Ian’s heartbeat grew louder and stronger.

“Head that way. If you go, you’ll find a breakthrough. The answer will come; they said if you go there, an opportunity will open up. I don’t know why it’s that place. Maybe it’s my lack of ability, but—”

Screeeech.

“Just as I thought.”

Before Naum could add more, Crony appeared. That lingering sense of déjà vu still clung to the air. Ian blinked, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Zzzzzzt! Zzzzt!

“Naum, wait!”

“Ian, it’s alright. There’s always—always a chance. The gods don’t give us problems without answers.”

Ah. This—

The surroundings shimmered with golden light.

A fierce heat blazed.

Within Ian’s eyes, Naum smiled.

Vroooom! Vroom!

Flames erupted from Naum’s palm. Crony drew his sword, and Ian could only stare blankly. Time seemed to slow down.

Ah. This—

“Naum—!”

“Iaaaan!”

Boom! Bang!

“Ian!”

“We’re here to get you!”

Then, faintly, a voice called out from somewhere. This wasn’t a hallucination inside his head. Someone was calling him from outside, beyond the prison walls.

As Luigi turned around, Crony swung his sword at Ian’s neck. Before some unknown magic could twist things further, before his life was taken—

“I’m Beric!”

“Nakina here!”

“Tommy’s here! And Captain Hale too!”

Ian’s eyes widened.

Ah, this.

‘…It’s darkness.’

Kraaaang!

Whoosh!

Ian reflexively raised his hand, blocking Crony’s blade. The sword bounced off and struck the shackles, shattering them instantly into fragments.

“Damn—!”

The darkness from the abyss they faced. The endless cycle of death, the chains, the hell, the eternal torment he only realized at the moment of dying. Ian’s blue eyes instantly turned golden.

Zzzzt! Zzzzt!

At the same time, he grabbed Naum’s wrist as flames threatened to consume it, and with his other hand, he summoned the Idgal sword.

Luigi hurriedly raised a shield to protect Crony. Even then, he was dazed, staring at the shattered remains of his own sword.

“Crony—!”

“No, what the hell is this—”

My darkness.

“Who am I?”

My name is Ian Verosion. And Ian Hiel.

The moment I became fully aware, a deep, burning rage surged up inside me.